Humanities Courses
CLASSICAL LITERARY STUDIES 11 – Through the Eyes of Chaucer, Byron and Tennyson
This course will introduce you to some of the best writing in the English language from the 8th century to the present. Great literature allows us to explore our humanity by looking into the abyss and examining the sublime. The literature will be read and discussed in a community of learners. This provides an opportunity to examine historical and philosophical traditions through the lens of great thinkers. This literature is transformative; it will change you. A former Lit student said, “This course has opened my eyes to the power and beauty that well-written words can hold.”
COMPOSITION 11 – The Act of Writing
Composition is a literary art form that includes great essayists such as the satirist Jonathan Swift who writes an innovative solution to the Irish famine in “A Modest Proposal,” and the horror writer Stephen King who discusses “Why We Crave Horror.” Writing good essays takes an understanding and manipulation of language. Learning about rhetorical devices will help you convey your perspective on a topic in a powerful way. Learn from the masters and develop the skills to become one.
CONTEMPORARY PLAY STUDY 11
Today’s playwrights push against the boundaries of character, era, and environment, and take us along for the ride. In so doing they not only expose us to worlds previously unknown, but parts of ourselves we rarely access. By studying plays that take us from the founding of the United States of America, to the exploration of the seas, to the reserves in the Canadian prairies, we journey into what these stories reveal.
NEW MEDIA 11 – The Art of Persuasion
Coke or Pepsi? Tim Hortons or Starbucks? Are you easily persuaded? Are you in control of your decisions? You might not be as free as you think. This course will focus on persuasive techniques and rhetorical devices used by advertisers, politicians, news organizations, and the entertainment industry.
We will begin with traditional persuasive essays. You will then choose a topic and a digital platform (video, photography, blog, live performance) in order to sell your own product or idea. You can persuade your audience to buy/change/act/reconsider/give by using spoken word, music, dance, drama, art, and photography.
Your guides: George Orwell’s 1984 and David McRaney’s You are Not so Smart.
ENGLISH 12 – FIRST PEOPLES – The Truth About Stories (Provincially Examinable Course)
This course uses the First Nations Principles of Learning, which encourages a community of learners. It is a course in which oral tradition is taught and practiced. Many great First Nations storytellers can be heard like the Anishinaabe writer Richard Wagamese. Historically, Aboriginal culture has been undervalued. There has been an attempt by government and churches to destroy the stories and those who tell them. But as Thomas King stated, “they never really went away”. Offering and taking this course is a significant step toward Truth and Reconciliation.
This is a provincially examinable course that fulfills the English 12 requirement.
ENGLISH 12 – The Last Kick At The Can (Provincially Examinable Course)
English 12 is more than just an exam. It is a rite of passage. As you leave our school we would like you take with you many skills such as critical thinking, the ability to recognize truth, to say what you mean and share what you know. We would like you to experience other worlds as you read the stories of authors such as Alice Munro, Wayson Choy and William Shakespeare. They have so much to teach. Understanding other perspectives will remind you of the necessity of compassion and empathy.
This is a provincially examinable course that fulfills the English 12 requirement.
** Students MUST take one of English 12 or English 12 First Peoples to graduate.**
ENGLISH LITERATURE 12
English Literature 12 is a survey of British literature from Anglo-Saxon times to the middle of this century. In this course, students will be engaged in an intensive study of the greatest poems and poets in the Western Canon: Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton, the Romantics, the Victorians, and poets of this century, such as Eliot, Yeats, and Thomas. A strong focus in this course will be the reading of the literature within its historical, cultural, and literary context. Students with an aptitude for and love of English will be particularly interested in this course, as will students preparing for university. Due to the complexity of this course, students should have completed or enrolled in English 12.
COMPARATIVE CULTURES 11
Comparative Cultures 11 is a course that explores the development of culture over time. Students will discover the elements of cultural expression, the role of power and governance and the role of value and ethical systems on the development of culture. This study will also consider interactions between cultures and the natural environment. The course will provide students with the opportunity to work independently and collaboratively on a variety of projects.
COMPARATIVE WORLD RELIGIONS 12
Comparative World Religions 12 is a course that explores the influence of religion on the development of culture. Included in this study will be the history of sacred architecture and landscapes, the development of belief systems, the exploration of sacred texts, the relationship between religious practice and justice, and the development of social systems in everyday life. The course will provide students with the opportunity to work independently and collaboratively on a variety of projects.
20th CENTURY HISTORY 11
Interested in Dictators, Propaganda, War, Cultural and Religious Conflict and the predictable following rise in Civil Rights, Social/Cultural Development, Interdependence and Global cooperation? 20th Century History 11 offers all of the above! Inquiry projects will focus on improving analysis and interpretation skills, while helping students make ethical judgements about the interesting and controversial events of the past century.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 12
Are you interested in learning about the physical world around you? In geography, we explore earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides and other natural hazards while also
gaining an understanding of how interconnected processes shape the Earth. Impacts of human activities on the natural environment such as with the oil and gas industry are also discussed. The course is a visually engaging exploration of our world which is guaranteed to change how you see everything from the clouds above you to the rocks beneath your feet.
BC FIRST NATIONS STUDIES 12 – Every Culture Has a World View
The study of First Nations history and culture has never been more relevant. Every day the First Nations of Canada are in the news. Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Kinder Morgan Pipeline Protests, Site C Dam, and Boil Water Advisories are just some of the headlines. Why? This course will help you answer that question, but it will also help you understand First Nations culture. It will help you understand a cultural view in which the world is something sacred, something whole, a place of balance between physical, emotional, mental and spiritual states. It will also help you understand the story of colonization. Most importantly, it will teach you about resistance and resilience. This is a course that will invite you to experience culture and belief. Listen to the elders – hear their stories. It will teach you and it may even transform you.
LAW 12
Are you interested in a Law related career? This introductory course will help you understand the role of law and the benefits of our legal system. By examining the foundations of law and exploring the three types of law (family, civil and criminal) you will be able to better think critically about legal issues, express your ideas and argue ethical and social issues.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 12
Are you interested in learning about the physical world around you? In geography, we explore earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides and other natural hazards while also gaining an understanding of how interconnected processes shape the Earth. Impacts of human activities on the natural environment such as with the oil and gas industry are also discussed. The course is a visually engaging exploration of our world which is guaranteed to change how you see everything from the clouds above you to the rocks beneath your feet.
PHILOSOPHY 12 – In Pursuit of Happiness & Identity
Should happiness be the ultimate goal of humanity? If so, who has the perfect recipe and how do we evaluate their positions? We will examine and deconstruct historical attitudes towards happiness beginning with the Greek philosophers. We will also observe the views of a wide range of thinkers chosen by the instructor and the students, such as the Dali Lama, Desmund Tutu, Bob Dylan, Victor Frankl, Abraham Maslow, Matthieu Ricard, Zhuangzi, Shakespeare, Bertrand Russel, Malcolm Gladwell, Prophets of the world’s religions, among others. We will question our assumptions about happiness and learn to use logic and reasoned arguments to defend our chosen values.
SOCIAL JUSTICE 12
Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghandi, Mother Teresa and Malala Yousafzai are just a few of the people who have been champions of Social Justice. This course will examine the complex causes and interconnectedness of Social Justice as well as initiatives to transform systemic injustice, and how individual world views shape and inform the understanding of of our world. Possible topics
to be discussed include race, poverty, LGBTQ, status of women, environmental and ecological justice, peace and globalization, disabilities as well as other marginalized and vulnerable groups.
PSYCHOLOGY 12
Psychology 12 provides information relating to issues that all individuals encounter not only in themselves, but also in their relationships with others. Students will acquire insight into the complex determinants of behavior and develop an appreciation of, and understanding for individual differences. The core curriculum of Psychology 12 includes topics such as Perspectives of Psychology, the Brain, Motivation, Stress, Emotions, Humour, Perception, Learning, Personality, Abnormal Psychology, and Sexual Motivation. Other areas selected for study will include those considered important in today’s society.
ENGLISH 10 MODULES – students will take two modules from the list below.
WORLD LITERATURE 10
Do you want to travel the world and experience different ways of life? This class will give you an opportunity to explore different cultures, places and ways of living through the lens of a variety of literature. We will look at how different cultures and places around the world (Asia, Middle East, Africa, India) use literature to explore what they value and their varying perspectives.
DEAD PLAYWRIGHTS STUDY 10
Our words carry meaning. They reveal truth, trial, and trivialities about our lives. In reading, discussing, dissembling and interpreting great works of drama, from master playwrights, we will strive to understand the human experience through time, and discover if some things never change. Plays and scenes studied may include the work of Shakespeare, Ibsen, Beckett, Miller, and Chekov.
CREATIVE WRITING 10 – A Quaint, Charming Villanelle in the Alps
Those of you who are experienced travelers know that the best way to learn how much you like a place is to go there. Creative writing is like that, too. In this course, you will become a literary world traveler, getting your passport stamped for writing in a wide variety of genres and forms. Whether your past writing has taken you around the block or across the ocean, you can and should take this course. Potential Writing Majors should also take this course. As Kurt Vonnegut wrote, “Keep your hat on—we may end up miles from here!”
DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE 10 – Looking into the Future
What could the future look like? Could a dystopian society exist? We will explore, identify and analyze dimensions of dystopian thinking, including the treatment of the topic in novels, short stories and poetry by futurists such as Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut.
RESILIENCY THROUGH LITERATURE 10
What does it mean to be resilient? Through the study of works, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, we will analyze how characters cope with stress and adversity as the result
of oppression. We will be studying characters who overcome great challenges, such as racism and social injustice. By engaging with literature, we reflect on our own lives and find new perspectives.
POETRY INQUIRY 10 – Nearer to Truth Than History
Poetry is the universal language of human expression; it is a constant, produced by all known civilizations from ancient to modern times. Poetry moves through time with us, from the lullabies we hear as children, to the songs we listen to in our daily lives. It helps us make sense of the world, in sometimes stirring ways. It provides us with truth, allows us to navigate love, may even give us hope. Poetry also gives us ways to understand the complexities of war and other social issues. Your poetry inquiry will allow you to discover new poetry and perhaps even help you find your own truths.
ENGLISH 10 FIRST PEOPLES – Towards Reconciliation
This course uses the First Nations Principles of Learning, which encourages a community of learners. It is a course in which oral tradition is taught and practiced. Many great First Nations storytellers can be heard like the Anishinaabe writer Richard Wagamese. Historically, Aboriginal culture has been undervalued. There has been an attempt by government and churches to destroy the stories and those who tell them. But as Thomas King says, they never really went away. Offering and taking this course is a significant step toward Truth and Reconciliation.
SOCIAL STUDIES 10
Social Studies 10 guides students to find out how Canada found it’s place in the world. From the end of World War I to the modern era, Canada has evolved into one of the planet’s greatest nations. What is a “Canadian”? What experiences shaped our beliefs and values? What makes us “Canadian”? Social Studies 10 has the answers!
HUMANITIES 8
Humanities is an integrated Social Studies and English Language Arts course.
English Language Arts reflects the art that is language and like any art it is full of interpretation, techniques, nuances, and wonder. Language is about communication, personal insight and making connections to others through a variety of mediums. In Humanities, this is interwoven with the application of Social Studies. Social Studies examines the culture, politics and technologies of society. Grade 8 Social Studies looks at the world between the years of 600 to 1750 CE. The goal of the course is to develop student’s ability to acquire information, consider multiple viewpoints, and critically evaluate information. In this year-long course we will read for understanding and pleasure, write with clarity using multiple genres, and make thoughtful decisions.